Axis & Allies Comp Game Tech Support

FlameFlash · October 1, 2003, 14:44

I went to Hasboro's site but it must be one of the worst designed sites I've ever visited.

What I'm looking for is a patch for Axis & Allies that will let me run it on Windows 2000... it's not working currently and it worked for me in '98 though I can't find my '98 disk to reinstall it. (My computer can't run XP.)

Any help would be appreciated.

Verto · October 1, 2003, 19:01

I've not heard of any patch specifically for Windows 2000.

nato · October 2, 2003, 06:29

I haven't played Axis&Allies for a long time, but I used to know a bit about it.

I think the major problem is that it doesn't work with the latest version of DirectX; version 8 I think. If that is an obstacle for you, I've heard some people partition their hard drive somehow and are able to startup with an older DirectX running when they want to play A&A.

Axis&Allies is pretty old, and is no longer supported. The current (and final) patch version is 1.3.3. Lack of support and a recent confirmed dice hack have been hurting the multiplayer scene.

I've heard rumors there will be a new computer game version of Axis&Allies made, so you might want to just wait for that. I'm not positive about that though.

Anyway, if you're interested, two major online clubs for A&A are found at:

http://www.spring1942.org/default.asp

http://www.balance-of-power.net/

If you ask for help on thier message boards, you can probably get it; they are very into the game and know all the technical stuff better than I do.

Just ask nicely; IMHO the climate there is not super friendly and is heavily politicized and suspicious. But I'm sure they can help you; besides they need new people.

On a non-technical issue, strategy wise they have the game worked out like clockwork! My game improved hugely when exposed to online multiplayer. I could help out with that better than technical stuff.

GhengisFarb™ · October 2, 2003, 19:57

Seriously, the only way to get Axis & Allies to work well is installing the second one Axis & Allies Iron Blitz. It addressed the bulk of the bugs and added an editor.

Unfortunately, they quit producing it and only produce the original bug ridden Axis & Allies.

Last I checked the Iron Blitz edition was going for $150 + per copy on Amazon and Ebay.

Urban Ranger · October 3, 2003, 04:31

You can find Iron Blitz on the Web.

Remember kids, don't pirate software.

FlameFlash · October 3, 2003, 09:29

Many thanks on the A&A web boards.

I have DirectX 7 running I think, so there shouldn't be an issue there.

I'll look for that patch and hope to find it on the web somewhere.

Many thanks.

FlameFlash · October 3, 2003, 09:32

For those interested the 1.33 patch can be found here thanks to Spring 1942.org.

Many thanks on your help in tracking this down, hopefully this will fix my problem.

nato · October 3, 2003, 19:33

I think Iron Blitz is a bad idea. From what I hear it adds a ton of bugs that the basic version does not have. Online basically no one at all plays the Iron Blitz version; they just use the original version.

The original is kind of bug ridden, but still basically playable. A headache sometimes, but very playable.

Nubclear · October 3, 2003, 22:26

Dogs of War.

Urban Ranger · October 4, 2003, 02:50

I didn't find Iron Blitz buggy at all, but then, I only play solitaire.

GhengisFarb™ · October 4, 2003, 09:03

Quote:

Originally posted by nato
I think Iron Blitz is a bad idea. From what I hear it adds a ton of bugs that the basic version does not have. Online basically no one at all plays the Iron Blitz version; they just use the original version.

I don't who you heard that from but nobody I have talked has had that experience.

I've got 12 other people in my unit that play A&A and the Iron Blitz install is the only one that doesn't act buggy. You can put the original A&A cd in and it still crashes on you but the Iron Blitz cd has never crashed on me at all.

nato · October 5, 2003, 03:51

Alright, I have no personal experience with Iron Blitz. So I wasn't going to respond to UR's post because I figured an opposing viewpoint was cool. But I'll explain my statment.

"Who I heard that from" is basically the online playing community. Its mostly an impression I've gotten from years of watching the A&A scene. Things like:

The game room for Iron Blitz play was ALWAYS nearly empty. Five people would be a crowd for that room. In the normal A&A rooms, I only rarely saw someone looking for an Iron Blitz game. It just doesn't seem to be played online.

All the major league databases are normal A&A only. Iron Blitz can only be played on the Navy and Juno databases. People who are very very into A&A don't consider Iron Blitz standard (as opposed to most online games, where the expansion pack becomes the standard, sometimes only, way to play).

Even when they want a change from the normal rules, they generally do variants on the normal A&A game. For example, the popular Kremlin style. Even for variant play, its strength, Iron Blitz seems to be avoided.

Most of all, its message board comments like this one from the BOP general discussion board:

Quote:

The Hasbro Iron Blitz is unplayable.

from this thread:
http://www.balance-of-power.net/cgi-...?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001844#000000

(The rest of the thread isn't about Iron Blitz, its about IRON_CROSS's tripleA crusade; I'm just giving the source.)

edit- I can't seem to get link to work correctly, sorry. Like I said, the thread wasn't mostly about Iron Blitz anyway. I found it with a search.

I wish I could give more quotes, but searching the boards for Iron Blitz doesn't turn up much because it just isn't talked about much. So I guess all I can say is I've seen comments like that.

So overall its an impression I've gotten, which is why I said what I said: I wouldn't recommend Iron Blitz, at least for multiplayer (I don't know a thing about it for single player). Finding games was hard enough even without it! Online the impression I've gotten is that Iron Blitz was a failed expansion with many cool options but too many bugs, even compared to normal A&A.

Its possible I don't know what I'm talking about, since I don't have it, and I'll bow to actual experience. But I'm not just a blabbering idiot with no foundation either.

btw GhengisFarb, I've always liked some of your Civ3 graphics. Great work!

FlameFlash · October 5, 2003, 20:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Dogs of War.

If I had access to that one again I'd go with it, but since the maker got sued I've never been able to find it.

Nope... the 1.33 version didn't work, still screws up royally. Going to try and track down a version of Win '98 and maybe be able to use that instead of 2000.

GhengisFarb™ · October 5, 2003, 21:14

The primary reason that most people on the internet don't use Iron Blitz is that it has editible values. You can change the costs and stats of the units and for internet play it is unusable. It wasn't designed for that. For SP play on your own computer it has the bulk of the bugs worked out.

I believe most of the posts you've read referring to it being buggy are most likely discussing the multiplayer over the internet and I have never attempted to use it for that. I have a huge base of players within 500 feet of me so we use it to play hotseat to save the setup time of the board game.

nato · October 7, 2003, 06:38

Well that explains it then, we are talking about two different things. Hotseat is pretty much just single player from the computers point of view, while I was only thinking of the multiplayer angle.

Heh, if I had players within 500 feet of me I'd be pulling out my board for some old face to face play! Not as easy to set up as the computer, but somehow has a fun element to it.

Oh well, watch out for the dreaded shuck!

FlameFlash · October 7, 2003, 18:53

I prefer the board game version too, but all I want is for my comp version to work right under Win 2k so I can at least play against the computer.

Nubclear · October 7, 2003, 18:56

Quote:

Originally posted by FlameFlash

If I had access to that one again I'd go with it, but since the maker got sued I've never been able to find it.

It was such the --->UNDERDOG<---, wasn't it?

GhengisFarb™ · October 7, 2003, 20:06

I like the board game over the computer one for several reasons.

1) You can see the whole map.
2) You can sneak an extra white chip or two into your purchases..........

FlameFlash · October 7, 2003, 20:37

Quote:

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
2) You can sneak an extra white chip or two into your purchases..........

Yet another good plus to the board game.

What does everybody do when they run out of the white chips (and, obviously, the red)?

FlameFlash · October 7, 2003, 20:54

Good ol' Tass, always cheering for the underdog...

GhengisFarb™ · October 7, 2003, 21:14

We NEVER run out of white chips.

I have 6 Axis & Allies games piled together and I scavenged ever chip from board games I found at Garage Sales.

We actually have more colors now:

White = 1
Red = 5
Yellow = 10
Blue = 20
Purple = 100

When someone gets a Heavy Bomber over a Purple chip its time to surrender...................

Dis · October 7, 2003, 21:45

the computer game is better because when someone is losing they dont' get mad and bump the board messing up all the pieces

Urban Ranger · October 7, 2003, 22:57

Quote:

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
When someone gets a Heavy Bomber over a Purple chip its time to surrender...................

The game would get boring a long time before that happens

Nubclear · October 8, 2003, 00:31

Da

DrSpike · October 8, 2003, 05:39

Ming made it clear last time Tass...........I'd remove it before he drops by if I were you.

FlameFlash · October 8, 2003, 09:52

Quote:

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
We NEVER run out of white chips.

I have 6 Axis & Allies games piled together and I scavenged ever chip from board games I found at Garage Sales.

We actually have more colors now:

White = 1
Red = 5
Yellow = 10
Blue = 20
Purple = 100

When someone gets a Heavy Bomber over a Purple chip its time to surrender...................

Yes, I do think that means it's time to surrender.

And Tass... thanks for the PM

H Tower · October 8, 2003, 15:38

There's no way a game should last long enough to need a purple chip. The allies should have pummeled the Axis into the ground by that point.

If the Axis aren't winning by turn 15, it's time for them to throw in the towel, unless you really want to grind it out over a 2 day period.

GhengisFarb™ · October 8, 2003, 20:42

We don't play the BIG chips on a standard Axis and Allies Board. You would never get that many units on it.

We made a radomized world with equal starting positions for 20 players on two sheets of posterboard we taped together.

One games last approx 72 hours straight with no stops. If you leave the room to go get something to eat or take a nap you have to desiginate a Commander in Chief to play your turn while you are away if it comes up.

Since the last 8 civs standing usually have a turn income of 250 to 500 ipc each there are some fairly large battle at that point.

There are also classic events in our history....

The time Utley paid Ogre 200 ipcs to ship his invasion force to another continent then forgot and declared war on Ogre mid trip.......

Ogre refused to land Utleys troops but couldn't get adjacent to land because Utley would move the 200 some odd armor units the first time he had an opportunity. Ogre ended up hiring another country to Heavy Bomb his 200 transports......

Ogre wasn't too happy about that......

H Tower · October 10, 2003, 03:26

how did you deal with only have 5 different colors of pieces? I'd get way to confused in a game like that.

FlameFlash · October 15, 2003, 09:51

Probably order extra pieces for the A&A Europe and A&A Pacific games to cover the extra colors.